Aircraft construction



Dec. 9, 1930. w. M.- PIGGOTT 1,784,027

AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 9, 192 9 3 Sheets-Sheet l I I INVENTOR. {girl e/7 12101 Y ATTORNEY.

Dec. 9,- 1930. w. M. PIGGOTT 1,784,027

AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 9, 1929 3 S heets-Sheet 3 1/ l2 w Y I INVENTOR.

. #477677 Z 0 7i i f 1 111/. 1

ATTORNEY.

' Patented Dec. 9, 1930 (UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE I WARREN PIGGO'IT, OI BAY CITY, IICHIGAN, ASSIGNOBTO HAT'IIE A. FIGGOTT, F

' BAY GI'I' Y,-MICHIGAN AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION application filed Iovember a, 1029. Serial in. 405,928.

This invention relates to aircraft construction, and more particularly to aircrafts designed to take 0 and land at low speeds, and

' J in an almost vertical plane.

The prime object of the invention is to design an aircraft having a. shutter wing construction, and which when set in a' predetermined position, will present a very limited resistance to rising vertically from the ground.

- eral use.

Another object is to design a simple and cally, thereby eliminating the taking off and,

landing at the high speeds, as is necessary with conventional aircraft at present in gensubstantial means for controllin the shutters, together with means for s ifting the propeller from vertical to horizontal position.

A still further object is to design a wing constructionwhich can be actuated to regu- 3 late the elevation of the aircraft-while in the air and which can be set irr any desired direction.

'accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being .understood that changes may be made 1n form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spiritfor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing; Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an aircraft showing my lmproved wing construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the wing illustrating the shutter operating means.

Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 showing the shutters in a different plane. v

d propeller members, I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the wing.

Fig. 6 is a frontview of the aircraft.

Fig 7 is an enlarged sectional view show- I the side pro eller driving mechanism.

8 is an en view thereo Fig. 9 is a detail view of the gearing. Referrin now more particularly to the drawin t e numeral 5 indicates the fuselage o the aircraft, this is of the conventional design and is adapted to house a power plant (not shown), and on which a propeller 6 is mounted, the usual elevators and rudder 7 and 8 respectively being provided on the rear end of the fuselage, and ground engaging wheels 9 are provided on the under carriage, and serve to support the aircraft when itis not in the air.-

10 are secured to the fuselage in the Wings conven ional manner, and it is to this wing construction and the side propellers that this invention is broadly directed.

This wing structure com rises an outer frame 11 in which a plura ity of shutter members 12 are revolubly mounted, these shutters being pivotally connected to the main frame by means of stud shafts 13 which are secured-to the ends of the shutters in any approved manner. The shutters can be ma e of an desired material, either solid 'or hollow, en bearings 14 being secured in the outer frame 11, and the end of the stud shafts 13 are revolubly journaled therein, a s iral gear 15 being mounted on each stud s aft, and is adapted to mesh with and be drivenlby a worm 16, which is mounted on a transversely disposed shaft 17, said shaft being journaled in conventional bearin s, (not shown), and which are secured to te frame. Hand wheels 18 are provided on the shafts 17 directl above the ilots seat in the fuselage, soat they can readily manipulated as. required to adjust the shutter to either open or closed osition.

Sleeve members 19. prqect-from the opposite sides of the fuselage, the inner ends terminating in an enlar housing..20 a shaft 21 projecting into. sa d housing, and ,a gear .22 is mounted: thereon,

drivinga spurgear fwhiehfis on a. shaft 24, said shaft being mounted in bearings 25 provided in the sleeve. Albevel gear 26 is provided on the outer end of the shaft 24 and meshes with, a similar gear 27 which is secured on the shaft 28, a propeller 29 being mounted on the end of the shaft 28, and a collar 30 serves to hold the shaft in position.

An annular securing member 31 embraces the gear housing on the end of the sleeve, and is secured to the fuselage of the plane by means of bolts (not shown), said housing being rotatable through an angle of 90 dethe body of the fuselage as usual, and stays 36 and 37' respectively are also provided for bracing and securmg the wheels in position.

In practice andwhen it is desired to take off, these side propellers 27 are in position as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 6 of the drawings, and the shutters are in the o n sition, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that propellers may have a solid. body of air in which to operate, and so that the aircraft may be raised vertically to the desired altitude, suitable clutch mechanism,

eing angled. to nest on and fit the,

low said shutters and shiftab'le to either a vertical or horizontal position and slidable stops on the center section for holding said shutter members in horizontal position.

2. An aircraft provided with a wing structure including a frame, a solid center sec: tion, the end sections com rising a plurality of shutter members revolubly mounted therein in overlappin relation, the edges of each panel being an led to fit and nest with the edges of the a jacent panels, ropellers below said shutters and shiftab e to, vertical and horizontal positions, means for simultaneously adjusting said shutter members, said means includinga shaft havin a plurality of worms mounted thereon an adapted to engage wornr wheels mounted on the individual shutters, and stops for holding said shutters in horizontal position.'

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WARREN M. PIGGOTT.

(not shown) is then actuated to rotate the main pro eller6, and the sleeves 19 are rotated so t at the side pro ellers 27 are disposed in the same plane as t e main propeller, and assist in driving the air craft ahead.

When leading the side propellers are again shifted to vertical ptosition, the shutters opened and the cm can be landed in a minimum of round space, and at a very slow spied. It wi l of course be obvious that the 51 e the shutters.

propellers may be omitted if desired and in no manner aflects the operation of shutters are mounted. in units, and each unit can be tiltedto any desired angle to come into a landing field as desired. A stop 38 is mounted on the center porti'onof the wing structure and limits the travel of the shutters, and by drawing said stop inwardly the shutters can be freely revolved.

" From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have perfected a very simple, substantial,-.and practical wing construetionan'd arrangementforairplanes. 

